Automated load distribution for a group-based communication platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10506032-B2
Application number	US-201815963636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2018
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods for automatically distributing loads among computing devices involved in message delivery within a group-based communication platform. Embodiments utilize a status checker to monitor the relative health and/or utilization of various channel servers each servicing a group-based communication channel for communication among a particular group of client devices. Upon detecting that one or more of the channel servers exhibit failing health characteristics, the status checker may automatically reallocate the messaging load performed by the failing channel server to other servers, thereby redefining the group-based communication channel associated with a particular group to encompass the newly assigned channel server and minimizing the impact of the failed channel server on message distribution within the group-based communication channel.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A computer-implemented method for automated load allocation among a plurality of channel servers configured for data exchange within a group-based communication platform, the method comprising:
monitoring health characteristics of a plurality of channel servers based at least in part on health data compiled by a status checker, wherein each of the plurality of channel servers synchronize communications between client devices of at least one group of client devices as defined based at least in part on a configuration key and wherein a plurality of gateway servers are subscribed with each of the channel servers based on a subscription; and
upon detecting failing health characteristics of a failing channel server identified within the plurality of channel servers:
establishing a lock between a first admin server of a plurality of admin servers and the configuration key;
updating the configuration key via the first admin server to replace the failing channel server with a replacement channel server; and
releasing the configuration key to implement the updated configuration key and to update the subscription of each of the plurality of gateway servers subscribed with the failing channel server to the replacement channel server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration key is stored within a memory associated with the status checker and is accessible to each of the plurality of admin servers.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of admin servers maintains a listing of active and failed channel servers, and wherein monitoring health characteristics of a plurality of channel servers comprises: updating the listing of active and failed channel servers maintained by each of the plurality of admin servers.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the lock between the first admin server and the configuration key comprises:
each of the plurality of admin servers attempting to establish a lock with the configuration key; and
establishing the lock with the first admin server of the plurality of admin servers to prevent other admin servers from modifying the configuration key.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the lock between the first admin server and the configuration key comprises:
each of the plurality of admin servers attempting to establish a lock with the configuration key;
establishing a lock with a second admin server of the plurality of admin servers; and
upon detecting failing health characteristics of the second admin server, establishing a lock with the first admin server of the plurality of admin servers to prevent other admin servers from modifying the configuration key.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement channel server is selected from a plurality of spare channel servers that are not in use for synchronizing communication between client devices.

7. A system for automated load allocation among a plurality of channel servers configured for data exchange within a group-based communication platform, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of admin servers, wherein each admin server comprises:
one or more non-transitory memory storage areas; and
one or more processors; and
wherein the plurality of admin servers are collectively configured to:
monitor health characteristics of a plurality of channel servers based at least in part on health data compiled by a status checker, wherein each of the plurality of channel servers synchronize communications between client devices of at least one group of client devices as defined based at least in part on a configuration key and wherein a plurality of gateway servers are subscribed with each of the channel servers based on a subscription; and
upon detecting failing health characteristics of a failing channel server identified within the plurality of channel servers:
establish a lock between a first admin server of the plurality of admin servers and the configuration key;
update the configuration key via the first admin server to replace the failing channel server with a replacement channel server; and
release the configuration key to implement the updated configuration key and to update the subscription of each of the plurality of gateway servers subscribed with the failing channel server to the replacement channel server.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the configuration key is stored within a memory associated with the status checker and is accessible to each of the plurality of admin servers.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of admin servers maintains a listing of active and failed channel servers within the one or more non-transitory memory storage areas, and wherein monitoring health characteristics of a plurality of channel servers comprises: updating the listing of active and failed channel servers maintained by each of the plurality of admin servers.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein establishing the lock between the first admin server and the configuration key comprises:
each of the plurality of admin servers attempting to establish a lock with the configuration key; and
establishing the lock with the first admin server of the plurality of admin servers to prevent other admin servers from modifying the configuration key.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein establishing the lock between the first admin server and the configuration key comprises:
each of the plurality of admin servers attempting to establish a lock with the configuration key;
establishing a lock with a second admin server of the plurality of admin servers; and
upon detecting failing health characteristics of the second admin server, establishing a lock with the first admin server of the plurality of admin servers to prevent other admin servers from modifying the configuration key.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the replacement channel server is selected from a plurality of spare channel servers that are not in use for synchronizing communication between client devices.

13. A computer program product for automated load allocation among a plurality of channel servers configured for data exchange within a group-based communication platform, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:
monitor health characteristics of a plurality of channel servers based at least in part on health data compiled by a status checker, wherein each of the plurality of channel servers synchronize communications between client devices of at least one group of client devices as defined based at least in part on a configuration key and wherein a plurality of gateway servers are subscribed with each of the channel servers based on a subscription; and
upon detecting failing health characteristics of a failing channel server identified within the plurality of channel servers:
establish a lock between a first admin server of a plurality of admin servers and the configuration key;
update the configuration key via the first admin server to replace the failing channel server with a replacement channel server; and
release the configuration key to implement the updated configuration key and to update the subscription of each of the plurality of gateway servers subscribed with the failing channel server to the replacement channel server.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein

Assignees

• Slack Tech Inc

Inventors

• Largman Raissa
• Yadav Ananya
• Mourachov Serguei
• Walker Neil
• Sodol Denis
• Lloyd Paul

Classifications

• H04L43/0817

  by checking functioning · CPC title

• H04L41/0668

  by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure · CPC title

• H04L41/0654

  using network fault recovery (ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437) · CPC title

• H04L67/1034 Primary

  Reaction to server failures by a load balancer · CPC title